In a networked virtualization environment for storage management, several nodes (e.g., servers, data centers) share a plurality of storage devices over a network. Each node may include local storage devices (e.g., solid state drive (SSD)) and the networked virtualization environment may also include several networked storage devices (e.g., cloud storage, storage area network (SAN), network file servers). Nodes within the virtualization environment for storage management may access networked storage devices and/or local storage devices of other nodes in the virtualization environment through the network. Likewise, nodes may communicate amongst each other over the same network.
A given node may be servicing I/O requests for several different user virtual machines (VMs) at a given time. I/O requests from user VMs directed at networked storage or local storage of another node in the networked virtualization environment will require access to the network. Likewise, communication between nodes within the networked virtualization environment pertaining to control information such as metadata, upgrades, fault tolerance and availability will also require access to the network. I/O requests from user VMs directed at networked storage or local storage of another node in the networked virtualization environment may be referred to herein as data communications, while communications between nodes pertaining to the control information may be referred to herein as control communications. It is important to note that data communications may involve communicating I/O requests between different nodes in the networked virtualization environment.
In a conventional networked storage management environment, data communications (e.g., I/O requests to storage) and control communications (e.g., communications between nodes pertaining to control information) utilize different networks. However, in certain networked virtualization environments for storage management, I/O requests to storage and communications between nodes pertaining to control information utilize the same network. Such networked virtualization environments for storage management reduce the amount of physical resources required, as a lesser number of physical switches are needed to implement the networked virtualization environment for storage management.
Networked virtualization environments where data communications (e.g., I/O requests to storage) and control communications (e.g., communications between nodes pertaining to control information) utilize the same network may be referred to as a converged networked. Such a converged network allows for networks at different abstractions (e.g., communication networks and storage networks) to be overlaid, thereby providing a reduction in resource costs as well as operational costs, by requiring less hardware equipment, less consumption of power and fewer administrative costs. Converged networks also offer for a single domain that provides for both high availability and fault tolerance.
However, the need to efficiently differentiate between data communications (e.g., I/O requests to storage) and control communications (e.g., communications between nodes pertaining to control information) within the networked virtualization environment and the need to properly assign priorities to such network communications for network usage arises where data communications (e.g., I/O requests to storage) and control communications (e.g., communications between nodes pertaining to control information) utilize the same network.